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17 Oct 2006 : Column 1188W—continued
However, the DDDC has been hampered by the deteriorating security situation on the ground and an unwillingness by the parties to the DPA to adhere to their commitments. We are pressing all sides to stop the fighting and to implement the DPA rapidly. We are also funding a media campaign aimed at broadening
support for the DPA, and engaging the non-signatory rebel leaders to persuade them to commit to the Agreement.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps she proposes to take in response to events in South Darfur; and if she will make a statement. [94049]
Mr. McCartney: There have been credible reports of a number of attacks in South Darfur, carried out by the Janjaweed/armed militias, since 27 August. We have condemned this fighting. It must stop immediately. We have a team of international diplomats, including a British diplomat, engaging the rebel groups in Darfur to make clear they must honour existing ceasefires and abide by UN Security Council Resolutions and the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA). We are working to bring such groups into the DPA.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights about the situation in Darfur. [94392]
Mr. McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no recent discussions with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights about the situation in Darfur. But, as a Permanent Member of the Security Council, the UK is briefed on a regular basis about the situation in Darfur, most recently by the Secretary General on 6 October. We have called on the Government of Sudan to address the human rights situation in Darfur and are making it clear that we will hold them accountable for abuses on the ground.
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the role of the National Redemption Front in Darfur. [94393]
Mr. McCartney: The National Redemption Front (NRF) is an umbrella organisation loosely made up of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Sharif Harir, Ahmed Diraige (the former governor of Darfur) and elements of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM). The dominant group in the NRF is the JEM. The NRF is thought to be gaining popularity among individual SLM factions including the predominantly Fur-based Abdel Wahid and its rival, Abdul Shaffi. The NRF is alleged to be responsible for the majority of recent rebel attacks. We are pressing the NRF to immediately cease fighting and to sign up to the Darfur Peace Agreement. We have made clear to the NRF that we are ready to support a process to help rebel groups to do so.
Western Sahara
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has made to the UN on a referendum on the future of the Western Sahara. [93145]
Dr. Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not made any recent representations to the UN on the need for a referendum on the future of Western Sahara.
The UK fully supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, and his Personal Envoy to Western Sahara, Peter Van Walsum, to assist the parties to achieve a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. The UK is in regular contact with representatives of the parties to the dispute and the UN. The UK will continue to encourage all parties to engage with the UN process. There are, however, no plans for a UN referendum to be held in the near future.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps she plans to take to ensure that the UN publishes the latest report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Mission to Western Sahara and the Refugee Camps in Tindouf; and what steps she plans to take to ensure the continuation of the role of the Special Representative for the Western Sahara. [94143]
Dr. Howells: The Government are not aware of any plans on the part of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to publish a report on a visit by a delegation from her Office to Western Sahara in May.
The UN Secretary-General is due to publish a report on the situation in Western Sahara on 18 October. We expect this report to cover developments over the past six months. The Government look forward to this report.
The UN Secretary-General's Special Representative to Western Sahara is head of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara. The UK will take an active role in the Security Council's discussions, in line with the Government's continued support to efforts to resolve the issue of the status of Western Sahara within the UN framework.
Zimbabwe
Mr. Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the expropriations of farm land in Zimbabwe. [94551]
Mr. McCartney: Mugabe’s chaotic approach to land expropriation has severely damaged Zimbabwe’s agricultural base. Despite abundant rains, the World Food Programme estimates that 1.4 million Zimbabweans will again require food assistance. The Government of Zimbabwe has ignored international calls to embark on a transparent, democratic land reform process. Instead, Mugabe’s regime continues to seize land, recently issuing eviction notices to over 60 of the remaining commercial farmers in Zimbabwe.
Together with our EU, Commonwealth and other international partners, we urge the Government of Zimbabwe to return to policies based on sound economic practice, democracy, and respect for the rule of law and human rights.
Northern Ireland
Action Cancer
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans there are for Action Cancer’s Big Bus to visit East Belfast and Strangford; and if he will make a statement. [94056]
Paul Goggins: My Department has no direct involvement in the visits carried out by Action Cancer. I welcome the Big Bus initiative and the valuable contribution the charity makes in cancer prevention in Northern Ireland.
Cancer Services
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many men have taken up screening for (a) testicular and (b) prostate cancer in the last three years in each health board in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [94114]
Paul Goggins: There is no testicular or prostate cancer screening programme in place in Northern Ireland.
In relation to prostate cancer the National Screening Committee recommends that routine screening using prostate specific antigen testing should not be introduced. The Committee is keeping the issue under review and will revise their recommendation if new evidence becomes available.
The National Screening Committee does not recommend a screening programme for testicular cancer. However, men should be aware of the need for self-examination and the importance of referring to their GP with any concerns.
Nursing
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many student nurses are in training in Northern Ireland; what the equivalent figures were for each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [93315]
Paul Goggins: There are currently 2,187 undergraduate nursing students in training in Northern Ireland. The equivalent figures for each of the last three academic years are presented in the following table.
| Undergraduate student nurses in training for the last three academic years | |
| Academic year | Number |
| Source: Queens University Belfast, University of Ulster and the Open University. | |
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many student nurses in Northern Ireland have dropped out of their courses in
each of the last three years; what percentage of the student cohort for the relevant year each figure represents; and if he will make a statement. [93319]
Paul Goggins: Student nurses drop out of their course for a variety of reasons. There are however, procedures in place to allow students to temporarily withdraw from their course and recommence at a future date. Drop-out rates or permanent withdrawals, refer to students who drop out of the course and do not intend to return. The number of student nurses who have permanently withdrawn from their course in each of the last three years and the corresponding percentage is presented in the following table.
| Permanent withdrawals during last three academic years, 1 September to 31 August | |||||
| Academic year | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total | Percentage of total cohort |
| Source: CSA bursary data information. | |||||
Prehen Woods
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Derry Area Plan 2011, Section Zoning H33 Hillview, contains restrictions on the distance between any new housing development and the existing Prehen Woods. [93445]
David Cairns: The adopted Derry Area Plan 2011 contains no explicit restriction on the distance between any new housing development and the existing Prehen Woods.
However, the supporting text to the zoning specifies that a strip of land no less than 15 metres and preferably up to 20 metres from the existing fence line along the southern and south western boundaries of the site should be protected as a buffer zone between Prehen Woods and any housing permitted on this land.
Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the distance is between the boundary of planning application A/2005/1166/F and Prehen Woods. [93446]
David Cairns: Approximately 50 per cent. of the proposed site to which planning application A/2005/1166/F relates, encroaches into Prehen Woods although this does not include the part of the application site on which houses are proposed.
Psychiatric Care
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many unfilled vacancies there are for special psychiatric nurses in each health board area in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [94115]
Paul Goggins: Vacancies for registered mental health nurses by Board area, as at 30 September 2006, are detailed in the following table.
| Registered mental health nurse vacancies | |
| Number | |
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) children and (b) young adults from Northern Ireland were given a place at St. George’s for treatment for (i) anorexia and (ii) other mental health conditions in each of the last five years. [94117]
Paul Goggins: Information on the number of (a) children, (b) young adults aged 16-18 years and (c) adults aged 19-21 who travelled from Northern Ireland to St. George's Hospital in London for treatment for (i) eating disorders from 2001-02 to 2005-06 is outlined in the following table. There were no patients, under 22 years of age, from Northern Ireland that went to St. George's Hospital in London for (ii) other mental health related conditions between 2001-02 and 2005-06.
| Number of patients travelling from Northern Ireland to St. George's Hospital in London for eating disorders | |||
| Financial year | (a) Children (under 16s) | (b) Young adults (16 to 18-year-olds) | (c) Adults aged 19-21 |
| Note: Children have been classified as persons aged 15 and under and young adults have been classified as persons aged 16-18. Figures for adults aged between 19 and 21 have also been included. Source: Health and Social Service Boards | |||
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many unfilled posts there are for (a) psychiatrists and (b) psychologists in each health board in Northern Ireland. [94123]
Paul Goggins: The information requested is presented in the following table.
| Vacancies for (a) psychiatrists and (b) psychologists by Board area as at 30 September 2006 | ||||
| Psychiatrist vacancies | Psychologist vacancies | |||
| Board | Headcount | WTE( 1) | Headcount | WTE( 1) |
| (1 )Whole-time equivalent. Source: NI Health and Social Services Trusts. | ||||
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